The Adventures of Velwin Eolus
by GrandMarquis
Summary: Velwin Eolus, a small flame in a roaring fire. He travels across Cyrodill to find who brought an untimely demise to his own village to the far south. On the ways he will meet friends and enemies, trying his very will and resilience, and many times will he be put on the spot. But only time and courage can spin the wheel of fate for Velwin and his wayward companions.
1. Prolouge

_**MY**_ village you will never find on map nor in the flesh. My people you will never find on map nor in the flesh. The village of Shakis laid nestled on the southern coast of Cyrodil below Leyawiin, reaching into the waters of the sea. Shakis was a quaint village of half a hundred or so, not many came, nor did many leave. My family was one of the few to live in the village…the Eolus Family.

Because of the little area available for use by my village assigned by the Empire, five families existed in the village. They were mostly pacifist, worrying more about the local fauna and the occasional bandit (or bandits) seemed to occupy more attention. The Leyawiin City Guard served no purpose, as they too were worrying for themselves. My family was known as the "Fishing Family". My father was a fisherman, his father, and his father's father, and so forth. I learned a good bit of fishing from my father, thankfully. The Artrentis Family was a mercantile, general goods based family. They built and ran the only general store (and only wide variety store in town) and provided many services not provided by the other four families. The Va'shee Family, a family of Khajiits, hunted wild game and forged an assortment of weapons. The Ogner Family, Nords, made armor. Last, the Telvase Family was the farming based family of the village, providing fruits and vegetables for the village.

I had a few friends in each family, Rentelius Artrentis, a sly fox who could talk his way out of most situations, Esseer Va'shee, one of the best hunters I knew, Serji Ogner, a true nord in the wrong environment, and Savilla Telvase, a welcome change from the rest of her family. These were my best friends. We played games together, visited each other when we were sick, whipped together when we were in trouble, and praised together when we solved and issue, kinda like a band of Knights or Adventurers.

We were all seventeen when the disaster took place.

Rentelius was away in Leyawiin with his father and brother on a business trip. Va'shee was in the commons area, skinning the animals from the morning hunts, and his young Khajiit pelt flowed in the wind, an assortment of yellows, greys, greens, and browns, and his hazel eyes transfixed on his work. Va'shee stayed muscular and agile due to his feline characteristics. Serji was also in the common areas, his brow a sweat and his hair all oily from the weather. He was hammering some new iron swords form his father, the blacksmith, who was inside the shop curing the iron for pounding. Serji was heaving. His winter, husky nature was not suited for this muggy, oppressive environment, and it was apparent. He too was well built due to his line of work. He beat the hammer on the sword twice more, finishing the hardest part of the job, and plops into the seat behind him, breathing out and grabbing a small cloth from beside the anvil.

"E-gehehehe, Sserji, if you were twice as old, you'd have keeled over! Well, more so than you have already!" said Va'shee humorously from across the walkway.

"Why...do you think I'm...out here doing it and not my...father?" Serji retorted in between breaths.

I heard this as I walked closer up the walkway, carrying a fisherman's trop of a dozen or so slaughterfish, bass, and catfish. It was around 10:30 AM on a sleepy Morndas morning. My fishing clothing was wet from an angry Slaughterfish who thought to try to pull me in, and my leather boots sloshed with water, a nice set of teeth marks were visible on the ankle where my assailant tried to eat me. My fishing pole was in my left hand. As I came closer, Va'shee says this as I close in on his station.

"Ey! Velwin comes from the hunt! With fresh kill." "Nothing less from the Veiled Fisherman."

"Cut it out, Serji." I said jokingly.

I got that name from the one time I tried fishing with a Chameleon spell I casted on myself a week or so ago. Some slaughterfish mistook my boots for rivals and started waylaying my leather boots (causing me no harm but a great deal of headache), unfortunately The gang was there, so they all had a great laugh while I was beating the killer fish off with a small cudgel. It's seems I've had the worst luck with those "fishy" carnivores at the time.

"What's today's catch, Veiled Fisherman?" asked Va'shee.

"Four bass, four big catfish, and four of the local killers."

"Ah! Ha! The hunter's strongest prey makes the best meals."

"Quite, I hope."

I approached his station and stopped before him.

"Where do you want me to put the fish?"

"Eeeehhh...hang it on the tanning rack. I'll get to it here in a few minutes." He went back to skinning the deer pelt he had. Shortly afterward, he plopped it on top of the ever-growing pile of ready-to-be-tanned leather. He turned and grabbed another pelt and went to skinning. I attached the fish to the rack, and giving one last wave at Va'shee, I walked on, nodding to Serji, but he stopped be before I could go on. He cast a quick glance at Va'shee and donned a smirk, on the verge of laughing.

"S-So Velwin...*giggle*...when are ya going to...*giggle*"

I lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Ask out...*grunt*...Savilla?"

They both could hold in no longer. Hysterical laughter filled the commons area.

I smiled and rolled my eyes, "You'll wake up the neighbors."

Va'shee asked, "Are you?"

Quite frankly...I had never given it much thought, sure we were as compatible as an orc in heavy armor with a warhammer, but I never really thought anything would come of it.

"You guys suppose I have a chance with her?"

"A chance? A destiny!" they both said in unison.

I shrugged. "And what reasoning is giving you that?"

Serji went on to explain a rather drawn out and loosely on topic event about us two.

"Whatever you guys say. I guess it's worth a shot."

"Why don't you invite her over for dinner? Or take her out to the wharf? Or maybe take her to a secluded place in the local wilderness and..."

I interjected, "I'll just stop you there, Ser-jerk."

We all laughed for a minute.

"She's at the farm right now, you know."

"Where else would she be?"

"He hass a point, Serji."

"Come on, just think of it! A farmer and a fisherman. What better pair could you have?"

A feminine voice came from directly behind Velwin, "Maybe he's right...Velwinny"

The sudden voice made me jump in surprise to wheel around.

I calmed and sighed when it was only Savilla.

"By the divines Savilla! I keep telling you not to sneak up on me like that!" I exclaimed.

She giggled, her bright, young face glimmering in the morning light. That's what I had feelings for; that.

"You're so easy to sneak up on, Velwin. I also took the liberty of snatching your coin-purse." She held up a little sack.

I snatched it out of her hands and put it in it's respectful place. I thought of us men's recent conversation, and wondered how long she exactly been there. I turned towards Va'shee and Serji.

Obviously they had no idea she was there, they looked dumbstruck.


	2. Chapter 1

Just as Savilla revealed herself to us, Serji's father came out of the blacksmith shop, rubbing a towel across his brow. He took a gander with his lazy, old eyes across the commons area, stopping at each of us and looking us down. He cleared his throat as we all turn towards him. He rubbed his bearded chin and his thick mustache before speaking.

"I got a job for you five, including Rentilus when he returns later today, I'll let you all know what it is when he gets back." He turned and reentered the blacksmith shop, not waiting for questions. That's what Serji's father was like, when he thought of a good idea, no questions needed to be asked. Not that we didn't have a problem with it sometimes.

"Wwhat do you think it's going to be...Sserji?" implored Va'shee.

"Hell if I know. Probably wants us to go to town or somethin."

"Bbbbbboooorrrring!" Savilla said.

I shrugged. I didn't mind it much. I liked seeing new places and talking to new people.

"I wonder when we're leaving?" I aksed.

"Probably a little after Rent gets back." Serji said.

We milled around a little while afterwards, my job was done: Fish caught? Check! Fish delivered to the cat? Check! I took a few quick glances at Savilla to see if she was onto us from earlier, but it seemed not. As I said, I couldn't deny the feeling that I was in love with her, but just maybe...

"Well," I said after a few minutes, "I'm heading home for a bit. See you guys at lunch!"

"I'll come with you-because my home's on the way." Savilla quickly interjected.

I gulped. _Be careful, Savilla._

The other two wisely remained quiet.

Turns out Savilla decided to walk with me to my home where she would split down the road back to the farm. The trees rustled gently in the cool morning breeze on the tan dirt pathway to my cottage, and the birds chirped a medley of musical tones as washing waves quietly lapped at the shore so near and dear to our hearts. Yet I was a clunky Crow, In a Blue Jay's serene mind, picking at the strings of love with an ever so slight and cautious demeanor no Hummingbird would dare challenge. Was I in love? Of course. The Blue Jay was ready to give it's life to the crow without quarrels and regrets but the crow itself wasn't sure it was going to be able to return the favor.

We walked side by side in the morning sun, not speaking, not looking, but yearning. Yearning for someone to make a move, to push the envelope, to sound the horns of battle...

To orchestrate a tune with the voices of the birds.

Suddenly the birds stopped chirping. The only sound was that of the breeze and the lapping waves growing ever so close and the creaking of the waterlogged wood of the home of the Veiled Fisherman. We stopped and faced each other, the fiery blazes of our kilns rising eve higher, waiting...yearning more.

I croaked out an unintelligible word and could only hold my mouth open like a dilapidated hound as I stare into her eyes...those deep, blue seas of emotion. She grew red in the face, like a herring in the cold winters, and nodded quickly and turned, drew a breath, then whipped around so suddenly it took me off guard.

We stood there in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity, letting the intangible flows of understanding and empathy hold us together, no speaking, no looking. Two secret lovers that could stand the yearning neigh. The flows ebbed, and our bodies separated. There was new look in her eyes that filled me with determination, the determination to keep it alive in the shadows, the hopes that our love is not misplaced in once another, the wishful thinking that we find no other who can fill the void as much as the other. The The ambitiousness.

She backed away from me and bid me goodbye for now.

"Adieu." I replied, closing the meeting.

I entered by home through the back kitchen area door, shaking off the immediate, qualitative effects of the encounter. I sighed as I bent down and took off my leather boots, setting them in the sun to dry, my fishing pole leaning on the door frame of that very door, and the ancient shielding ring of anti-fish on the counter of the kitchen top. The ring was also handed down through generation to generation, ending with me. I sat down on our couch and exhaled.

It was time to get back to business.

I figured I could sell the fish in town for a small fortune, seeing as how catfish and bass go for a good sum of money in Leyawiinn. I stared up at the thatch ceiling of my bungalow and thought of all the work I've done to keep this home in good shape, and in my name. I purposely don't allow people in my home except my friends because I don't want them to know...

Know that I'm the only Eolus left in Tamriel.


End file.
